# Publications

## Black hole evolution: II. Spinning black holes in a supernova-driven turbulent interstellar medium

ArXiv (2014)

Y Dubois, M Volonteri, J Silk, J Devriendt, A Slyz

Supermassive black holes (BH) accrete gas from their surroundings and coalesce with companions during galaxy mergers, and both processes change the BH mass and spin. By means of high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies, either idealised or embedded within the cosmic web, we explore the effects of interstellar gas dynamics and external perturbations on BH spin evolution. All these physical quantities were evolved on-the-fly in a self-consistent manner. We use a `maximal' model to describe the turbulence induced by stellar feedback to highlight its impact on the angular momentum of the gas accreted by the BH. Periods of intense star formation are followed by phases where stellar feedback drives large-scale outflows and hot bubbles. We find that BH accretion is synchronised with star formation, as only when gas is cold and dense do both processes take place. During such periods, gas motion is dominated by consistent rotation. On the other hand, when stellar feedback becomes substantial, turbulent motion randomises gas angular momentum. However BH accretion is strongly suppressed in that case, as cold and dense gas is lacking. In our cosmological simulation, at very early times (z>6), the galactic disc has not yet settled and no preferred direction exists for the angular momentum of the accreted gas, so the BH spin remains low. As the gas settles into a disc (6>z>3), the BH spin then rapidly reaches its maximal value. At lower redshifts (z<3), even when galaxy mergers flip the direction of the angular momentum of the accreted gas, causing it to counter-rotate, the BH spin magnitude only decreases modestly and temporarily. Should this be a typical evolution scenario for BH, it potentially has dramatic consequences regarding their origin and assembly, as accretion on maximally spinning BH embedded in thin Shakura-Sunyaev disc is significantly reduced.

## A NEW STELLAR CHEMO-KINEMATIC RELATION REVEALS THE MERGER HISTORY OF THE MILKY WAY DISK

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS 781 (2014) ARTN L20

I Minchev, C Chiappini, M Martig, M Steinmetz, RS de Jong, C Boeche, C Scannapieco, T Zwitter, RFG Wyse, JJ Binney, J Bland-Hawthorn, O Bienayme, B Famaey, KC Freeman, BK Gibson, EK Grebel, G Gilmore, A Helmi, G Kordopatis, YS Lee, U Munari, JF Navarro, QA Parker, AC Quillen, WA Reid, A Siebert, A Siviero, G Seabroke, F Watson, M Williams

## KINEMATIC MODELING OF THE MILKY WAY USING THE RAVE AND GCS STELLAR SURVEYS

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 793 (2014) ARTN 51

S Sharma, J Bland-Hawthorn, J Binney, KC Freeman, M Steinmetz, C Boeche, O Bienayme, BK Gibson, GF Gilmore, EK Grebel, A Helmi, G Kordopatis, U Munari, JF Navarro, QA Parker, WA Reid, GM Seabroke, A Siebert, F Watson, MEK Williams, RFG Wyse, T Zwitter

## Particle Acceleration by Shocks in Supernova Remnants

BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS 44 (2014) 415-425

AR Bell

## Colliding clusters and dark matter self-interactions

ArXiv (2013)

F Kahlhoefer, K Schmidt-Hoberg, MT Frandsen, S Sarkar

When a dark matter halo moves through a background of dark matter particles, self-interactions can lead to both deceleration and evaporation of the halo and thus shift its centroid relative to the collisionless stars and galaxies. We study the magnitude and time evolution of this shift for two classes of dark matter self-interactions, viz. frequent self-interactions with small momentum transfer (e.g. due to long-range interactions) and rare self-interactions with large momentum transfer (e.g. contact interactions), and find important differences between the two cases. We find that neither effect can be strong enough to completely separate the dark matter halo from the galaxies, if we impose conservative bounds on the self-interaction cross-section. The majority of both populations remain bound to the same gravitational potential and the peaks of their distributions are therefore always coincident. Consequently any apparent separation is mainly due to particles which are leaving the gravitational potential, so will be largest shortly after the collision but not observable in evolved systems. Nevertheless the fraction of collisions with large momentum transfer is an important characteristic of self-interactions, which can potentially be extracted from observational data and provide an important clue as to the nature of dark matter.

## The effect of diamagnetic flows on turbulent driven ion toroidal rotation

PHYSICS OF PLASMAS 21 (2014) ARTN 056106

JP Lee, M Barnes, FI Parra, EA Belli, J Candy

## Evidence for a glassy state in strongly driven carbon.

Scientific reports 4 (2014) 5214-

CR Brown, DO Gericke, M Cammarata, BI Cho, T Döppner, K Engelhorn, E Förster, C Fortmann, D Fritz, E Galtier, SH Glenzer, M Harmand, P Heimann, NL Kugland, DQ Lamb, HJ Lee, RW Lee, H Lemke, M Makita, A Moinard, CD Murphy, B Nagler, P Neumayer, KU Plagemann, R Redmer, D Riley, FB Rosmej, P Sperling, S Toleikis, SM Vinko, J Vorberger, S White, TG White, K Wünsch, U Zastrau, D Zhu, T Tschentscher, G Gregori

Here, we report results of an experiment creating a transient, highly correlated carbon state using a combination of optical and x-ray lasers. Scattered x-rays reveal a highly ordered state with an electrostatic energy significantly exceeding the thermal energy of the ions. Strong Coulomb forces are predicted to induce nucleation into a crystalline ion structure within a few picoseconds. However, we observe no evidence of such phase transition after several tens of picoseconds but strong indications for an over-correlated fluid state. The experiment suggests a much slower nucleation and points to an intermediate glassy state where the ions are frozen close to their original positions in the fluid.

## On the maximum energy of shock-accelerated cosmic rays at ultra-relativistic shocks

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 439 (2014) 2050-2059

B Reville, AR Bell

## The Gaia-ESO Survey: The analysis of high-resolution UVES spectra of FGK-type stars

ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS 570 (2014) ARTN A122

R Smiljanic, AJ Korn, M Bergemann, A Frasca, L Magrini, T Masseron, E Pancino, G Ruchti, I San Roman, L Sbordone, SG Sousa, H Tabernero, G Tautvaisiene, M Valentini, M Weber, CC Worley, VZ Adibekyan, C Allende Prieto, G Barisevicius, K Biazzo, S Blanco-Cuaresma, P Bonifacio, A Bragaglia, E Caffau, T Cantat-Gaudin, Y Chorniy, P de Laverny, E Delgado-Mena, P Donati, S Duffau, E Franciosini, E Friel, D Geisler, JI Gonzalez Hernandez, P Gruyters, G Guiglion, CJ Hansen, U Heiter, V Hill, HR Jacobson, P Jofre, H Jonsson, AC Lanzafame, C Lardo, H-G Ludwig, E Maiorca, S Mikolaitis, D Montes, T Morel, A Mucciarelli, C Munoz, T Nordlander, L Pasquini, E Puzeras, A Recio-Blanco, N Ryde, G Sacco, NC Santos, AM Serenelli, R Sordo, C Soubiran, L Spina, M Steffen, A Vallenari, S Van Eck, S Villanova, G Gilmore, S Randich, M Asplund, J Binney, J Drew, S Feltzing, A Ferguson, R Jeffries, G Micela, I Negueruela, T Prusti, H-W Rix, E Alfaro, C Babusiaux, T Bensby, R Blomme, E Flaccomio, P Francois, M Irwin, S Koposov, N Walton, A Bayo, G Carraro, MT Costado, F Damiani, B Edvardsson, A Hourihane, R Jackson, J Lewis, K Lind, G Marconi, C Martayan, L Monaco, L Morbidelli, L Prisinzano, S Zaggia

## Quantum radiation reaction in laser-electron-beam collisions.

Phys Rev Lett 112 (2014) 015001-

TG Blackburn, CP Ridgers, JG Kirk, AR Bell

It is possible using current high-intensity laser facilities to reach the quantum radiation reaction regime for energetic electrons. An experiment using a wakefield accelerator to drive GeV electrons into a counterpropagating laser pulse would demonstrate the increase in the yield of high-energy photons caused by the stochastic nature of quantum synchrotron emission: we show that a beam of 10(9) 1 GeV electrons colliding with a 30 fs laser pulse of intensity 10(22)  W cm(-2) will emit 6300 photons with energy greater than 700 MeV, 60× the number predicted by classical theory.

## Fast electron energy transport in solid density and compressed plasma

NUCLEAR FUSION 54 (2014) ARTN 054004

P Norreys, D Batani, S Baton, FN Beg, R Kodama, PM Nilson, P Patel, F Perez, JJ Santos, RHH Scott, VT Tikhonchuk, M Wei, J Zhang

## Galactic kinematics and dynamics from Radial Velocity Experiment stars

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 439 (2014) 1231-1244

J Binney, B Burnett, G Kordopatis, M Steinmetz, G Gilmore, O Bienayme, J Bland-Hawthorn, B Famaey, EK Grebel, A Helmi, J Navarro, Q Parker, WA Reid, G Seabroke, A Siebert, F Watson, MEK Williams, RFG Wyse, T Zwitter

## Modelling gamma-ray photon emission and pair production in high-intensity laser-matter interactions

Journal of Computational Physics 260 (2014) 273-285

CP Ridgers, JG Kirk, R Duclous, TG Blackburn, CS Brady, K Bennett, TD Arber, AR Bell

In high-intensity (>1021 Wcm -2) laser-matter interactions gamma-ray photon emission by the electrons can strongly affect the electron's dynamics and copious numbers of electron-positron pairs can be produced by the emitted photons. We show how these processes can be included in simulations by coupling a Monte Carlo algorithm describing the emission to a particle-in-cell code. The Monte Carlo algorithm includes quantum corrections to the photon emission, which we show must be included if the pair production rate is to be correctly determined. The accuracy, convergence and energy conservation properties of the Monte Carlo algorithm are analysed in simple test problems. © 2013 Elsevier Inc.

## Radial penetration of flux surface shaping in tokamaks

ArXiv (2014)

J Ball, FI Parra

Using analytic calculations, the effects of the edge flux surface shape and the toroidal current profile on the penetration of flux surface shaping are investigated in a tokamak. It is shown that the penetration of shaping is determined by the poloidal variation of the poloidal magnetic field on the surface. This fact is used to investigate how different flux surface shapes penetrate from the edge. Then, a technique to separate the effects of magnetic pressure and tension in the Grad-Shafranov equation is presented and used to calculate radial profiles of strong elongation for nearly constant current profiles. Lastly, it is shown that more hollow toroidal current profiles are significantly better at conveying shaping from the edge to the core.

## Equivalence of two different approaches to global gyrokinetic simulations

ArXiv (2014)

FI Parra, M Barnes

A set of flux tube gyrokinetic equations that includes the effect of the spatial variation of the density, temperature and rotation gradients on the turbulence is derived. This new set of equations uses statistical periodicity as a boundary condition, avoiding the need to impose non-physical boundary conditions. This new approach to global gyrokinetic simulations is shown to be equivalent to the traditional global $\delta f$ gyrokinetic equations when the turbulent eddies are smaller than the characteristic size of the machine.

## Intrinsic rotation in tokamaks: theory

ArXiv (2014)

FI Parra, M Barnes

Self-consistent equations for intrinsic rotation in tokamaks with small poloidal magnetic field $B_p$ compared to the total magnetic field $B$ are derived. The model gives the momentum redistribution due to turbulence, collisional transport and energy injection. Intrinsic rotation is determined by the balance between the momentum redistribution and the turbulent diffusion and convection. Two different turbulence regimes are considered: turbulence with characteristic perpendicular lengths of the order of the ion gyroradius, $\rho_i$, and turbulence with characteristic lengths of the order of the poloidal gyroradius, $(B/B_p) \rho_i$. Intrinsic rotation driven by gyroradius scale turbulence is mainly due to the effect of neoclassical corrections and of finite orbit widths on turbulent momentum transport, whereas for the intrinsic rotation driven by poloidal gyroradius scale turbulence, the slow variation of turbulence characteristics in the radial and poloidal directions and the turbulent particle acceleration can be become as important as the neoclassical and finite orbit width effects. The magnetic drift is shown to be indispensable for the intrinsic rotation driven by the slow variation of turbulence characteristics and the turbulent particle acceleration. The equations are written in a form conducive to implementation in a flux tube code, and the effect of the radial variation of the turbulence is included in a novel way that does not require a global gyrokinetic formalism.

## Proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration: A path to the future of high-energy particle physics

Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 56 (2014)

RW Aßmann, RB Bingham, T Bohl, C Bracco, B Buttenschön, AD Butterworth, AC Caldwell, S Chattopadhyay, S Cipiccia, E Feldbaumer, RA Fonseca, BJ Goddard, MA Groß, O Grulke, EM Gschwendtner, J Holloway, C Huang, DA Jaroszynski, SW Jolly, P Kempkes, NC Lopes, KV Lotov, JR Machacek, SR Mandry, JW McKenzie, M Meddahi, BL Militsyn, N Moschuering, P Muggli, Z Najmudin, TCQ Noakes, PA Norreys, E Öz, A Pardons, AV Petrenko, AM Pukhov, K Rieger, O Reimann, H Rühl, EV Shaposhnikova, LO Silva, AP Sosedkin, R Tarkeshian, RMGN Trines, T T̈uckmantel, JM Vieira, H Vincke, M Wing, G Xia

New acceleration technology is mandatory for the future elucidation of fundamental particles and their interactions. A promising approach is to exploit the properties of plasmas. Past research has focused on creating large-amplitude plasma waves by injecting an intense laser pulse or an electron bunch into the plasma. However, the maximum energy gain of electrons accelerated in a single plasma stage is limited by the energy of the driver. Proton bunches are the most promising drivers of wakefields to accelerate electrons to the TeV energy scale in a single stage. An experimental program at CERN - the AWAKE experiment - has been launched to study in detail the important physical processes and to demonstrate the power of proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration. Here we review the physical principles and some experimental considerations for a future proton-driven plasma wakefield accelerator. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.

## Refined Critical Balance in Strong Alfvénic Turbulence

ArXiv (2014)

A Mallet, AA Schekochihin, BDG Chandran

We present numerical evidence that in strong Alfv\'enic turbulence, the critical balance principle---equality of the nonlinear decorrelation and linear propagation times---is scale invariant, in the sense that the probability distribution of the ratio of these times is independent of scale. This result only holds if the local alignment of the Elsasser fields is taken into account in calculating the nonlinear time. At any given scale, the degree of alignment is found to increase with fluctuation amplitude, supporting the idea that the cause of alignment is mutual dynamical shearing of Elsasser fields. The scale-invariance of critical balance (while all other quantities of interest are strongly intermittent, i.e., have scale-dependent distributions) suggests that it is the most robust of the scaling principles used to describe Alfv\'enic turbulence.

## Electron-phonon equilibration in laser-heated gold films

PHYSICAL REVIEW B 90 (2014) ARTN 014305

TG White, P Mabey, DO Gericke, NJ Hartley, HW Doyle, D McGonegle, DS Rackstraw, A Higginbotham, G Gregori

## Do high-redshift quasars have powerful jets?

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 442 (2014) L81-L84

AC Fabian, SA Walker, A Celotti, G Ghisellini, P Mocz, KM Blundell, RG McMahon